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Bangladesh reports 4 more COVID-19 deaths, 503 fresh cases

Bangladesh lockdown

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of deaths from coronavirus continues to rise in Bangladesh as 4 more people have died in the last 24 hours, taking the total casualties in the country to 131, according to United News of Bangladesh.

Besides, a whopping 503 new cases of coronavirus infection were reported during this period, raising the number of such cases in the country to 4,689.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has set up a five-member COVID-19 related media cell in Bangladesh.

The cell is meant for monitoring and taking steps to release information, hold press briefing and carry out mass awareness campaign and correct misinformation related to coronavirus issues.

In addition to this, many suspected coronavirus carriers are either showing less interest in undergoing tests or hiding information in fear of isolation and social stigma, health experts said warning that this tendency may jeopardise the government’s efforts to contain the pandemic.

Afghanistan Covid-19 cases reach 1,330, death toll at 43

New Delhi (NVI): 95 more COVID-19 cases have been reported in Afghanistan in the past 24 hours, bringing the tally to 1,330, according to Afghan media reports. The country’s death toll due to the virus stands at 43, according to reports.

The Afghan Health Ministry has said that the new coronavirus cases were reported in 12 provinces, including 53 in Kandahar, 11 in Kabul and 3 in Herat province, according to TOLO news.

Apart from this, 10 cases were reported in Takhar, 5 in Panjshir, 5 in Nangarhar, 2 in Farah, 1 in Laghman, 1 in Daikundi and 1 positive case in Parwan.

The Afghan media has reported that five patients have recovered in the last 24 hours in Herat and four in Kandahar, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 188.

One fresh death was reported from Kandahar, bringing the total fatalities in the country to 43, amid concerns over a serious shortage of testing supplies and treatment equipment at health centers.

Meanwhile, according to the Afghan ministry, 7,425 samples have been tested – including 339 samples tested on April 23, reports TOLO news.

COVID-19: 253 health workers infected in Pakistan so far

New Delhi (NVI): At least 253 healthcare providers and medical workers have been infected with coronavirus in Pakistan so far, according to Dawn news.

Based on the report, shared by the National Emergency Operation Centre, 124 doctors, 39 nurses and 90 health workers have been infected in the country.

92 of these healthcare providers are in isolation, 125 are admitted in hospitals while 33 have recovered and have been discharged.

In addition to this, the total number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan has reached 11,513 with 242 deaths so far.

Nearly half of the total confirmed cases are from Punjab province alone, at 4,851, according to Geo News.

Looking at the breakdown of cases, the Sindh province has reported 3,945 cases while Balochistan has 607 cases so far. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province has 1,541 cases, Islamabad 214, Gilgit Baltistan 300 and 55 in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Another 20 people recovered from the deadly virus in Punjab province, taking the provincial tally to 925. The total number of recovered cases stands at 2,589 in the country.

Pakistan has been under lockdown for over a month now to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Senior citizens worst affected due to COVID-19 lockdown: Survey

New Delhi (NVI): The current lock down situation due to the global Covid-19 pandemic has drastically affected the lives of the elderly, according to a latest survey.

70 per cent of the senior citizen population is either already facing health complications or fearing to develop some due to the current lockdown restrictions, according to the survey conducted by Agewell Foundation, an NGO, working for the welfare and empowerment of older people in the country since 1999.

The survey was conducted on around 5,000 people from across the country in order to assess the impact of the prevailing situation on their lives.

According to the survey, approximately 55 per cent elderly respondents asserted that current lock down situation is affecting their health condition adversely.

75 per cent of such elderly patients said that they missed the healing touch of their doctor, as they could not visit them personally. 43 per cent of the patients were undergoing regular pathological check-ups, and they have to avoid these check-ups all of a sudden.

However, 25 per cent elderly said that the lockdown has not affected their current health condition so far and approximately 5 per cent elderly said that their health condition is improving due to clean environment resulting from lockdown rules.

According to elderly, access to regular medicines/physiotherapy was most critical health challenge being faced by them, as 44 per cent respondents termed this as most critical health challenge before them.

Anxiety, sleeplessness, lack of appetite and lack of physical activity was termed most critical health challenge, according to 34 per cent respondents.

During the survey, more than a half (approx. 54 per cent) elderly admitted that their social life has been disturbed due to Coronavirus lockdown. Among these elderly, 71 per cent claimed that they are fearful of meeting anyone or to interact with anyone nowadays.

While interacting with older persons, the survey volunteers observed that majority of older persons look depressed due to this new phenomenon. They expressed sense of apprehension, resentment, anxiety and even anger while talking over phone.

In another finding, during the lock down period, 52% elderly respondents claimed that their interpersonal relationship with family members particularly their own children has further deteriorated due to hardly any communication, conflict of personal ego, interests and attitude.

Interestingly, 59 per cent of elderly, staying with their other family members claimed that they still feel psychological loneliness/isolation even amid their family members. Primary reasons for this situation were – neglect by younger family members, unsympathetic relationship, discriminatory behavior against elderly, rising frustration levels, etc.

Himanshu Rath, Founder Chairman of Agewell Foundation says, “Due to the current Covid-19 lockdown, most of the older persons are struggling and facing a peculiar situation in their life. Elderly are finding themselves at the receiving end, those who are living alone have practical problems and those who are living with families, have psychological issues.

“Under current tension of Coronavirus, elderly are getting depressed due to lack of assured medical & financial support, social interaction and lack of independence/self-respect/ dignity.”  Rath further added, ” Government should extend a helping hand to old people by announcing certain packages, exclusively for Old People.”

The survey also made a few recommendations for the government:

-Launch a Helpline for Older Persons
-Announce benefits for older persons like guaranteed subsidy/loans.
-Announce GST waiver for businesses focused on senior citizens – food, accommodation, care and medical needs.
-Provide subsidy or loans and support for Assisted Living or senior care Homes.
-Set up care facilities or homes specifically for elderly COVID-19 patients.
-Release the 2nd tranche of Rs. 6000 assistance under Kisan Samman Nidhi.
-Raise awareness among the illiterate urban and rural elderly and undertake special efforts to explain & demonstrate safety measures against Covid19.
-Set up special PDS distribution points for the elderly.
-Create awareness about the senior care sector and frame policies for faster development of the senior care industry.
-Create a uniform set of guidelines that can be implemented across the sector that will leverage home healthcare workers for monitoring of elderly.
-Provide essential healthcare services like medical insurance in a safe and secure environment for elderly.

Plasma therapy results on Covid-19 patients encouraging: Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi (NVI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that initial trials of plasma therapy conducted on four COVID-19 patients in Lok Nayak Hospital have shown satisfactory results so far.

While addressing a media briefing, Kejriwal said the government will conduct more trials of plasma therapy in the next few days.

“We are happy with the positive results in the four patients. Blood and plasma is ready for 2-3 other patients that we have at LNJP hospital, we may give them the plasma therapy today,” he said.

Kejriwal also appealed to all people who have recovered from COVID-19 to come forward and donate plasma for serious patients.

The trials are being conducted in collaboration with the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, which will be processing the blood to derive plasma and store it.

Plasma therapy is an experimental procedure to treat COVID-19 infection. In this method, plasma from a COVID-19 patient who has fully recovered is transfused into a coronavirus patient with critical condition.

So far, Delhi has 2,376 COVID-19 positive cases, including 50 deaths.

J&K: Soldier injured in accidental firing in Kupwara

Representational Image

Srinagar (NVI): An Indian Army soldier deployed in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district was injured today in an accidental firing at his unit.

An official said that the solider from the 8 Jat Regiment deployed at Hiri unit of Kupwara got a bullet injury. He said the soldier suffered injuries due to accidental fire from his own service rifle.

The official also said that the injured jawan was immediately evacuated to military hospital Drugmulla for treatment.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara, Shriram Ambarkar confirmed the incident and said the injured Army man is presently undergoing treatment. “He is stable,” the SSP said.

Covid-19 a wake-up call for us to be self-reliant: PM

(Updating earlier copy)

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the Covid-19 crisis is a big lesson for the country to be self-reliant self-sufficient in dealing with such situations.

The PM was interacting with sarpanchs (village heads) across the country through video-conferencing on Panchayati Raj Divas.

With the country under a lockdown for a month now and the total number of cases crossing over 23,000, the Prime Minister said that the need of the hour is to be self-reliant at the level of a village, a district as well as a country.

The PM further said that despite the overwhelming effects of the pandemic, people in the country are facing the hardships with limited resources, instead of feeling helpless.

While addressing the village heads, PM lauded them for setting an example for the world in social distancing through “do gaj ki doori” or “do gaj deh ki doori” (a distance of two steps).

He said that there was a time when not even 100 panchayats in the country were connected with broadband. “Today, the service has reached more than 1.25 lakh panchayats,” he said while adding that there are over three lakh common service centers in villages now.

The PM told the village heads that tireless efforts are needed for sanitisation in villages, setting up quarantine centers for people arriving from cities in less time, arranging for food of each and every individual, awareness among the general public.

Prime Minister Modi also said that the government is making the best possible efforts to provide better healthcare facilities to the poor people from the villages. “Ayushman Bharat scheme has also proved to be a big relief to the poor in villages. Under the scheme, more than one crore poor patients have availed free treatment at hospitals,” he said.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister also launched a unified e-Gram Swaraj website and mobile app to support gram panchayats across the country. The portal will provide the panchayats single interface to prepare and implement their development plans.

April 24 is observed as Panchayati Raj Day. The Panchayati Raj had come into force on April 24, 1993 marking a defining moment in the history of decentralisation of power to the grassroots in the country, through the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act-1992.

J&K: PIL filed in HC after Covid suspect doc allowed to treat patients

Representational Image

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Three days after a junior doctor was tested positive for Covid-19 at a hospital in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, a Public Interest Litigation has been filed against the hospital incharge, for allegedly allowing the same doctor to treat patients.

The PIL, filed before the J&K High Court, seeks reply from the Medical Superintendent, Government Medical College Hospital, Baramulla over how he allowed a Covid suspect doctor to treat patients till April 21, even as his samples were taken on April 19.

The petitioner has sought judicial action against the Medical Superintendent, accusing him of playing with the lives of hundreds of patients, who came in direct contact with the Covid-suspect doctor. A junior doctor at GMC Baramulla was tested positive for the Covid-19 on April 21.

The petitioner, Suhail Ahmad Lone, from Kanispora, Baramulla told NVI that the young doctor, who tested positive for novel coronavirus on April 21, was allowed to attend the patients even after showing symptoms related to coronavirus. “The samples of doctor were taken on April 19,” Lone said. He said that the doctor was allowed to attend the patients even before his final report was received on Tuesday (April 21), the results of which came positive.

The petition, a copy of which is with the NVI, reads that there is no clue how many persons/patients were examined by the doctor from April 19 to April 21.”For risking the lives of all those who came in contact with the doctor, the blame lies on the Medical Superintendent,” it reads.

“My question in the first place is that how the doctor was allowed to work at Hospital despite being the prime suspect of the virus,” the petitioner writes.

He said that preliminary reports suggest that the doctor in question has treated or attended to at least 200 patients from April 19 to April 21. “Who knows fate of these 200 people? How can they be traced,” he said. “In J&K, 80 per cent Covid patients are asymptomatic.”

However, Chief Medical Officer Baramulla has urged all the people in the district who were treated by the doctor and tested positive, to report to the hospital or else be ready for punitive action for concealing the contact history.

It may be recalled that the junior doctor posted at Government Medical College Baramulla became the first doctor to test positive in the Kashmir Valley where Covid-19 cases have reached 435 with five deaths so far.

26 million Americans filed for jobless benefits over 5 weeks

New Delhi (NVI): More than 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits over the past 5 weeks, a result of the devastating effect of coronavirus pandemic on the US economy, according to media reports.

About 4.4 million people filed for unemployment in the last week alone, lower than the roughly 5.2 million people who filed the applications week before and down from the an all time high of 6 million applications in late March.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the economy is expected to contract 5.9 per cent this year in US. In just 5 weeks, the surge in unemployment claims has exceeded the number of jobs created in the near-decade of expansion that ended in February.

A record 16 million Americans received the benefits in the week ended on April 11, the US Department of Labour said. But many people have had trouble getting through with the state offices for processing of the applications.

As per the US media report, economists have warned that the unemployment rate by summer will be within the range of 25 per cent peak recorded in 1933 during the Great Depression.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, has pushed to loosen restrictions on activity, despite fears that testing and other safety measures remain insufficient.

In addition to this, some states have already started to relax rules, while protests against lockdown orders have arisen elsewhere.

Even if jobless claims continue to fall away as reopening gets underway, the scars on America’s consumer-driven economy will linger for a long time.

At present, COVID-19 has claimed more than 50,000 lives in United States, with as many as 8,69,000 people infected due to the virus, which led to a large number of people filing for unemployment.

Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC in J&K’s Rajouri

Ceasefire
Representational image

Jammu (NVI): Pakistani troops today violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, defence sources said.

“At about 1130 hours, Pak initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with Small Arms & shelling with Mortars along LoC in Nowshera Sector, District Rajouri(J&K),” they said, adding that the Indian Army is retaliating befittingly.

On Wednesday, four unidentified militants were killed in an encounter at Mehloora area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district.

(More details awaited)

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